Facilities’ closure deprive families of recreation: Report

Nabila Al-Anjari

KUWAIT: Leaders Group for Consulting and Development, the representative of the World Tourism Organization in Kuwait, issued its monthly report on recent developments in the tourism sector in Kuwait. Leaders Group General Manager Nabila Al-Anjari said the closure of parks and other recreational facilities raise questions about this important sector on how to resolve its problems and manage it. She added that both citizens and lawmakers have been complaining.

Anjari said when opened in the 1980s, the Entertainment City, parks, beaches and recreational clubs were social, cultural and touristic breakthroughs that showed the significance of recreation for any society, namely one like Kuwait. She added that this was evident for both citizens and expatriates living in Kuwait when the Entertainment City opened in 1984, and when Shaab Amusement Park opened in 1988.

The great appeal of all Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC) facilities built in 1976 proved the significance of recreation for any community that needs to spend leisure time away from the stress caused by work and modern lifestyles. Anjari pointed out that this encouraged private sector investment in such projects in various areas around Kuwait, but as a result of the sluggish performance of various governments in terms of developing Kuwait’s touristic sector, these projects deteriorated.
“According to recent reports, Paris Disneyland annually attracts 15 million visitors,” Anjari said, noting that the Al-Kadiah project in Saudi Arabia is listed as one of the world’s largest entertainment cities, to be located over an area of 334 sq km, with a total cost of tens of billions of riyals. “This project will surpass Disneyland in Florida, which is only located over an area of 110 square kilometers,” she underscored.

Moreover, the report stressed that closure of recreational facilities happened at short intervals as indicated in the table below, while the remaining facilities are totally neglected. The report added that this negligence deprives families from recreational facilities that used to be suitably priced for people with limited income. The report also noted that most of those facilities were built with public funds in outstanding locations.
“With some development, facilities such as Entertainment City, which is situated over an area of one square kilometer, could have been ranked in a leading position after Hong Kong Disneyland, for instance,” Anjari said, noting that is becoming urgent to reconsider maintaining all recreational facilities more than ever.